Waiting
by PhoenixDreamer55
Summary: Sirius's friends are so stupid. They can't even see they're madly in love with each other. Apparently, that means it's Sirius's job to knock some sense into them. Final chapter now up! RLNT
1. Chapter 1

**Right! Sirius, Remus, and Tonks are my favorite characters of all time and basically live in my head... they keep talking to me and giving me these horrible plot bunnies that i just can't resist... so yeah.. hopy you enjoy my craziness..**

**disclaimer: characters belong to J.K. Rowling... unfortunately enough for the rest of us...**

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"Still waiting dear Moony?"

Remus sighed. "Yes Sirius, I'm _still_ waiting." He shook his head as Sirius plopped down across the table in the kitchen at Grimmuald Place.

"Ah… but here's the real question Moony… what _are_ you waiting for?" Sirius asked with an inquisitive look.

"How about divine intervention…" Remus muttered.

Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Well, I dunno Sirius, maybe… a job?"

"I've tried-"

Remus cut him off. "A _real_ job. With a steady salary."

"Perfectly doable!" Sirius said.

_Yeah, now he's optimistic, when he's been sulking around the house for days…_ Remus thought to himself.

"That's very reassuring. And coming from a fugitive who hasn't been outside for 4 months, I'm sure you're speaking from experience." Remus stood up to refill his mug.

"Of course! I am a very experienced fugitive." Sirius said with mock intelligence. He looked over at Remus. "Watcha drinking Moony?"

"Cocoa. Would you like some?" Remus asked, in a slightly sarcastic tone.

"Would love some!" Sirius exclaimed. He jumped up and made his way drunkenly to a nearby cabinet. He opened the door and pulled out a half-empty bottle of Firewhiskey, then plopped back down in his chair and propped his feet up on the table.

Remus, not noticing this little endeavor, set down a full mug of cocoa in front of Sirius, and sat back down in his own chair. Only after he had taken his first sip and set his mug down did Remus realize what Sirius was planning to do.

"You're not really going to- oh… see that… now you've ruined it." He said as Sirius poured two shots of Firewhiskey into his cocoa.

"Ruined it? Hell, I've made it ten times better!" He exclaimed and took a swig. "And considering how damn good your cocoa is to begin with, that's saying something." Sirius grinned.

As much as his drinking worried Remus, he couldn't help but chuckle at how marauder-ish his friend looked. And for a brief moment he could see the 20 year old Padfoot again.

"I just don't know, mate," Remus started. He stared hard into his mug as if hoping to find some sort of answer. "I bloody well don't have a chance with her…"

"Sure as hell you do!" Sirius shouted. "What's with all this self-pitying crap, Moony? She's a beautiful girl, you're a… er… good looking fellow…"

Remus snorted into his cocoa. "Thanks mate. It means a lot coming from you."

"Anyway! I don't see your problem!" Sirius said, blushing slightly.

"My problem is…" Remus let out an exasperated sigh. "My problem is, I'm a werewolf, I'm dirt broke, and I've got to be more than 10 years older than her!"

"'S no problem! Well 'side from your furry little problem, that actually is a rather large problem… but it has nothing to do with this!" Sirius took another swig of cocoa (which was probably more firewhiskey than cocoa now).

"How does that have nothing to do with this!" Remus asked, a little fed up with Sirius at this point. "It has everything to do with this!"

"I thought you were supposed to be the smart one, Moony!? She _knows_ you're a werewolf and fancies you anyway! So how is it still a problem?" Sirius was practically shouting now.

Remus was at a loss for words. "Wait… what'd you say… did you just say… She _fancies _me? _She_ fancies _me!?_" Remus's head was spinning.

"Of course she fancies you, you wanker! Why do you think she's stumbling over herself every damn time she sees you!"

"Well… I.. well… she said she was clumsy.." Remus said sort of lamely. He was steadily turning red now.

"Oh for Merlin's sake! You're both head over heels for each other! If you would only get up off your sorry arse and ask the girl out, we could stop this rubbish!"

Remus felt like dancing. _She fancies me… Nymphadora Tonks fancies me…_ He wanted to burst out of the front door singing and shouting at the top of his lungs! _But of course that wouldn't be proper…_

"Well… I suppose that-" But Remus was cut off by Sirius jumping out of his chair again.

"BRILLIANT! We'll start planning right away…" Sirius was grinning like mad now and rubbing his hands together excitedly.

"Wait… what? Planning?" Remus asked. _Oh… I'm in over my head now…_

"Yes planning, Moony! Because remember… I'm experienced." Sirius grinned even wider and downed the rest of his cocoa.

"Is this going to be painful?" Remus wasn't sure he was ready to re-enter the dating world. He hadn't been on a date since 6th year…

"Of course not! Just listen to everything I say very carefully…" Sirius pulled out a quill and some parchment and began scribbling furiously.

"Oh sweet Merlin, we're going to need more Firewhiskey."

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**ah ha!! you know you love Sirius as a matchmaker... i mean what else is gonna do stuck in Grimmuald place all day?? but yeah... please review!!! and not that i dont really apreciate faves and alerts, cuz i love them! but please, if you do, review first!!! i appreciate it!! **


	2. Chapter 2

**yes!! Sirius must put his brilliant plan into action.. whether or not it will actually work is completely beside the point... **

**disclaimer: Sirius, Remus and Tonks belong to Jo...**

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Sirius was sulking in his misery with Buckbeak when he heard a crash below him that could only mean one thing.

_Tonks is here…_

With a mischievous grin on his face he slowly and quietly made his way to Remus's room. He quietly pushed open the door to find his friend sitting stock still in his desk chair, quill poised over his parchment as if he had just stopped writing something.

"I take it you heard the arrival of my dear cousin as well then!" Sirius said with glee.

Remus jumped and dropped his quill as his right hand went for his wand. He whirled around and pointed it at Sirius.

"'S Always good to know I'm loved." Sirius said, still grinning.

"Sorry mate, you kind of caught me at a… er… a bad time." Remus said stashing his wand again.

"Why? Because you were planning to make your big getaway before little Tonksie discovers you're here? How very brave of you Moony." Sirius said in a taunting tone.

"Well… I… No.. you see…" Remus was turning redder by the second.

Sirius gave a bark of laughter and shut the door to the room. "Oh save it Moony. I'm smarter than you think." He winked at Remus before seating himself on the small sofa in Remus's room.

"So I take it by now you have realized why I left my comfortable abode with my dearest Buckbeak to come down and listen to you stutter?" Sirius asked.

"Well… not really…" Remus said with feigned innocence.

"Oh like hell Moony. You know why I'm here! It's the opportune moment! _This _is what we've- you've been waiting for!" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of parchment.

"The opportune moment to do what, exactly?" Remus began straightening some things on his desk.

"Don't play stupid, Moony, it doesn't suit you. Now get your sodding arse downstairs before I hex it down there for you!" With one more glance at the paper, he shoved it back in his pocket, dug around for a moment, and pulled out his wand. "So what'll it be Moony 'ol chap?"

Remus sighed and shut the drawer to his desk.

"How do I look?" He asked tentatively.

"Dashing…No one has ever looked better in an old sweater vest and a beat up Gryffindor tie. Honestly, It's a miracle the girls aren't dropping at your feet…"

Remus glared at Sirius and made his way to the door.

"Fine, I'm going." Sirius was about to follow when Remus whipped around. "And you'll stay here. I don't want you there manipulating what I say into something else. You can stay right here and I'll tell you what happens when I get back!" and with that Remus shut the door in his face.

Sirius was appalled…_ Stay here my arse!_ He listened at the door until he no longer heard the sound of Remus's footfalls. He carefully pushed it open and peeked out.

There was no sign of Remus. _And more importantly,_ he thought, _no sign of Kreacher._

Sirius tiptoed his way to the stairs and peeked over the banister. Still no Remus.

Sirius used his wand to put a muffling charm on his feet. He didn't want to be heard on the creaky old stairs. When he reached the bottom, he silently made his way to the kitchen door and tucked his wand back into his pocket. He pulled his hand back out holding a fleshy string of sorts.

_Really have to remember to thank Fred and George later…_ he thought, and stuck one end in his ear. He slid the other end underneath the door and immediately heard voices.

"-was your day?" That was Remus.

"Oh… umm.. my day was alright…" Tonks sounded a little disappointed but quickly recovered. "How was yours then?"

"Well.. it was.. oh it was just fine.."

Sirius could see Remus turning pink in his mind. He had to stifle a laugh over his friend.

"So.. umm… was there something you wanted to ask me?" Tonks voice had a hopeful note to it.

"Er… umm.. " Remus started.

"C'mon Moony, what are you waiting for…" Sirius muttered under his breath.

"No. No.. I just.. umm.. wanted to see how you were and… umm.. well actually I've got work to do.. so… yeah… I better go.."

Sirius could've slapped Remus. _All my careful planning, and you bugger it up royally anyway!_

"Well.. that's.. that's just fine… I just came to check on Sirius so I'd better be heading up too..

_Bollocks!_ Sirius thought when he realized they were heading right towards him. He yanked the extendable ear out from under the door made to run up the stairs. But the door was already opening. He only had one choice.

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**ack.. Remus is acting like an ickle firstie.. and yet.. we love him anyway.. :D please review!!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Tonks will get a little heart-to-heart with cousin Sirius... cuz we all know he gives such great advice...**

**disclaimer: all characters belong to Jo**

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Tonks could've sworn she heard the sound of someone disapparating as she left the kitchen at Grimmuald Place. She glanced over at Remus. He seemed to have heard it too as he was glancing around the room.

'_S probably just Kreacher messing around again…_ Tonks thought to herself, and with one last backwards glance at Remus, began walking up the stairs towards the drawing room.

When she got there, the door was slightly ajar and she could see her cousin Sirius sitting next to the Hyppogriff, Buckbeak, a bottle of Firewhiskey in hand. She sighed and pushed the door open wider.

Sirius looked up and waved drunkenly at her. She smiled and shut the door behind her. Then she walked over and plopped down next to Sirius.

"You willing to share your fun with me, cousin?" Tonks asked.

Sirius sniggered and poured her a glass of firewhiskey. "What's got your knickers in a twist then?" he asked.

Tonks downed her shot and leaned back against the wall.

"It's just this guy…"

"In other words… You fancy dear Remus…" Sirius grinned as Tonks tried to hide her blush.

"It's just… I really like him, and I don't think he likes me at all!" she said.

Sirius snorted. "You'd be surprised, dearest cousin, at just _how_ much Moony fancies you…" He took another sip of firewhiskey.

"Wait… he… he actually fancies me?" Tonks said, a look of pure shock on her face,

_Didn't I already have this conversation? _Sirius shook his head.

"Yes, oh naïve, blind little cousin, my mate Moony is madly in love with you…" He turned to look at her, and smirked as her face turned almost as pink as her hair. "And from the looks of it I'd say the feelings are mutual."

Tonks giggled a little and looked at Sirius.

"I'm tired of waiting for him to make the first move, but what do I do?" she whispered.

"What you always do! What you've been doing!" Sirius yelled. "Get up in his face! _Make_ him ask you! He'll _never_ make the first move unless you keep pushing him in the right direction! So, if you keep popping up, eventually he'll have to do something!"

Tonks laughed and pictured herself apparating onto Remus's lap. _That would get his attention_… she thought.

She giggled at the idea as she pushed herself off the wall.

"Thanks for the drink Sirius, and the words. I appreciate it." She said.

Sirius grinned and held up the bottle of Firewhiskey.

"Cheers! To Moony and Tonks! May your lives be a hell of a lot better than mine!" And he tipped the bottle up and downed the rest.

Tonks shook her head and chuckled. _What am I going to do with him?_ But that question wasn't nearly as daunting as the next one she had to face.

_What am I going to do with Remus?_

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**ahh.. how very stupid our beloved Remus is... anyway.. please review!!**


	4. Chapter 4

**disclaimer: all characters belong to the marvelous J.K. Rowling..**

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"Mind if I join you?"

Remus stood in the doorway of Sirius's old bedroom, chuckling at the sight of Sirius sprawled out on the floor, an empty bottle of firewhiskey lying at his feet.

"Sure… why not, Moony… Not like we have any better way to spend our time, right?" Sirius said. He attempted to lift his head up, but only made it 2 inches off the ground before letting it drop again.

"Excuse me if I don't get up to greet you, but I can't seem to feel my feet…"

Remus shook his head and shut the door behind him as he walked over to where Sirius lay. He took of his shoes and placed them on the bed, before lying down next to him.

Remus sighed.

Sirius turned his head a bit to the right so he could look at him.

"So what's got you so down? Someone rub your fur the wrong way?" he asked.

Remus rolled his eyes. "No…"

"Ah…" Sirius said with mock wisdom. "That means you are still troubled over my dear cousin."

Remus's silence was answer enough.

Sirius sniggered. "You know what Moony, I'm not going to rest until I have gotten you two dunderheads together."

"You're resting right now…"

Sirius glared at him. "I start first thing tomorrow!"

Remus smiled, but was beginning to get that queasy feeling he got whenever he thought of Tonks.

"You know what, I really appreciate your help and everything mate… but you see-"

"No no…" Sirius didn't let him finish. "I'm doing this for your own good Moony. You'll be thanking me in the end… just you wait…"

Remus highly doubted this but decided it best not to argue. So he laid there in silence, staring around at the pictures plastered all over Sirius's walls. 10 minutes had gone before he was jerked out of his reverie by a resounding crash from downstairs. He glanced over at Sirius, who he had presumed to be sleeping, but saw him grinning from ear to ear.

"I do believe Tonks is here," he said, obviously trying very hard to be nonchalant.

"I noticed…"

Sirius turned his head again towards Remus.

"Aren't you going to go and say hello, Moony?" he asked.

"No."

Sirius snorted. "Bet you 5 galleons she trips on her way up the stairs."

Remus knew he would most definitely lose, but decided to play along.

"I have faith in her." He said.

Sirius gave a bark of laughter. "No, you fancy her. There's a difference."

Remus scoffed. "What? I can't fancy her and have faith in her?"

"You just don't want her to know you would've bet against her, don't you?"

Remus smiled.

"You sly wolf… you're better at this game than I thought..."

Remus chuckled before they both fell silent in anticipation.

_Any minute now_, Remus thought. _1…2…3…_

CRASH!

Sirius burst out laughing.

"Apparently she was trying to bring you some tea, Sirius," Remus said, for they could hear her muttering something about a bloody teapot outside the door.

At this, Sirius began laughing harder, and Remus couldn't help but smile to himself.

"Hey Padfoot… about the bet…"

Sirius reached up to wipe a tear from his eye, before grinning knowingly at Remus.

"You can pay me back later."

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**ok.. this might be the last chapter for a while because school is starting and yeah.. it's gonna be a mess... i'll try to update quick.. but in order to that i kind of need ideas... so if anyone has any ideas on new ways for Sirius to set up Tonks and Remus, please let me know!! and please review!!!**


	5. Chapter 5

**OHMIGOSH IT'S HERE!! yes yes i know that i haven't updated in -counts on fingers- well let's just say a really really long time.. but behold!! a new chapter!!! the fic is actually finished now so updates will be coming quite frequently... however there's only 7 chapters in the story so really i only have 3 left to put up.. but anywho!!! these last few chapters were co-written between me and the lovely ****xLupinxLoverx** **so you should all send some virtual cookies her way :D now then.. i hope you enjoy the chapter and please please PLEASE review!!!**

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Chapter 5

"Good morning, Moony!" Sirius called pleasantly, as his friend sank tiredly into a chair across the table. It was the morning after the full moon, and Remus's face bared the scratches and lines that accompanied it.

"Is it really? I hadn't noticed…" Remus said, rubbing his eyes.

"Indeed it is! For you anyway… You see it turns out my dear cousin shall be visiting you today!" Sirius said, as he joyfully prepared some cocoa. "Apparently she was 'worried' about you or something…"

Remus shot out of his chair so fast he bumped into the table.

"Sh- She's coming today?" He asked, his voice cracking.

"Yup!" Sirius placed a cup of cocoa in front of Remus. "Drink up Moony! You look like you need it…"

Remus fell back into his chair, his legs splayed haphazardly in front of him.

"Wh- when? When is she coming?" He asked as he reached out for the cocoa mug.

"Oh... anytime now I would suspect…" Sirius said, a sly grin spreading across his face.

Remus shot of his chair for the second time in four minutes, spilling cocoa down his front and knocking the chair over.

"Any time now?! You've got to be bloody kidding me! I haven't even had a proper shower yet!" Remus shouted, throwing his arms out and sending more cocoa flying across the kitchen.

Sirius studied him for a moment. "Yeah… you pretty much look like hell." He said.

"AHH!!" Remus yelled, and went to sit back down again, forgetting that he had just tipped his chair over.

Sirius reached out to grab his arm but it was too late. He fell backwards over the chair, spilling what remained of his cocoa and landing in a mess of tangled limbs.

Sirius winced, and went over to help him up.

"Don't worry Moony. You know she'd like you no matter what you looked like." He said reassuringly. In return he got a mean glance. "But er… why don't you go on up and take a shower then… and maybe a pepper-up potion… I think there's probably one in the lav." He pulled Remus up and righted the chair.

"Yeah, I'll do that then." Remus said, and was just about to leave when he turned around. "But if Nymphadora arrives before I return, don't you dare do any _clever scheming_ and lock her in a magically sealed broom cupboard or something!"

Sirius scoffed. "Moony! How could you say such a thing!" He clutched a hand to his heart. "I would never sink that low!"

Remus nodded, but as the kitchen door swung closed, a marauder-ish gleam lit up Sirius's eyes, and an evil grin spread slowly across his face.

Tonk's was strolling down the street, twirling a rainbow umbrella and getting some very funny looks. Apparently you weren't allowed to carry an umbrella when it wasn't raining, even though it would probably be smart to, if you're in London. She just smiled and waved and kept on walking.

She turned suddenly into an abandoned alleyway, and looked around. The ministry had designated this alleyway as a wizard apparation point jut a few months ago, after receiving numerous complaints from wizards and witches who couldn't seem to find their way home.

After making sure no muggles were in sight, she forced Number 12 Grimmuald Place into her head and spun on the spot.

When she opened her eyes again, she was standing on a run-down street lined with once great houses. She walked up to the bricks dividing Number 11 and 13, and tapped her wand there three times. Tonks leapt back as Number 12 materialized in front of her. She didn't usually come here on her own, and she couldn't say she preferred it. Her Great-Aunt's house gave her the creeps. But she thought of Remus, sitting in the kitchen with his cocoa, and marched up the front steps, rainbow umbrella still in hand.

A few moments later, the front door was open and she looked in to see Sirius grinning from ear to ear.

"Nice umbrella, cousin," he said teasingly.

She smiled. "Well thank you! I'm glad to see someone appreciates it!"

Sirius chuckled and shut the door behind her as she entered.

"What? The muggles aren't partial to rainbow?" he asked as Tonks tried desperately to close her umbrella. She wasn't having much luck.

"Apparently not!" she said. The umbrella was putting up a good fight, as it was now beating her upside the head.

Sirius smiled. "What is it bewitched to do?" he asked, deciding whether he should try and help, or just enjoy the show.

"It's meant to –OW!!! Be able to –OOF!! Hold itself up on its own –AHHH!!" She yelled as the umbrella began to chase her through the entrance hall.

Sirius let out a bark of laughter before finally giving in, and with a wave of his wand, the umbrella had folded itself, and was lying neatly against the wall.

Tonks glared at him. "I could have handled it!"

"Uh-huh, because you were doing a spanking good job at keeping it in check!"

"Oh shove it Sirius!"

He just grinned. "Testy today are we, Tonkise?"

"Test me, and I will be," she said, pointing her wand at him.

Sirius put his hands up.

"Alright alright I surrender!" He smiled "You're just like you're mum you know. She always had me at wand point."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" Tonks asked, lowering her wand a bit.

Sirius chuckled. "I suppose so… But really, that Black temper will get you every time"

Tonks smiled back and stowed her wand back in her cloak.

"So where's Remus?" She asked, looking towards the kitchen.

"He's upstairs, still a bit tired you know." There was an evil glint in Sirius's eyes as he spoke. Tonks didn't seem to catch it.

"Oh… ok…" She said, an edge of disappointment in her tone. "Do you err... think I could still see him? I promise I'll be quiet!" Her eyes were pleading.

Sirius sighed. "I suppose so… But if he's asleep you can't wake him up alright? Our Moony needs his rest."

Tonks nodded and followed Sirius up the stairs. He led her up to the third floor to a door on her right.

"He's right in here." He whispered.

She started forward quickly, but slowed down when Sirius shot a warning glance her way. She quietly opened the door and peeked inside. Before she got a chance to look around though, she was shoved from behind. She fell into the room, expecting to hit a wooden floor, but instead tripped over what felt like broomsticks, and went headfirst into a wall.

_What kind of room is this?_ She thought. _It's tiny!_

But before she had a chance to pick herself up, there was a slam, and everything went black.


	6. Chapter 6

**Woo-hoo!! next chapter!! and Tonks is locked in a closet!! and that, my dear readers, is always funny :D now then, i present to you... CHAPTER 6!! and once again, the dear xLupinxLoverx was kind enough to help me write these chapters!! so all of you, be sure to give her a pat on the back! and when you're finished with that, REVIEW!!**

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Chapter 6

The steam from the water rose around him like an enigmatic fog. He thought he had heard a slam downstairs, but he must be imagining things. This house was creeping with strange items, full of dark or mysterious magic. He wouldn't be surprised if something of just that sort, like a biting bookcase, had attacked Sirius in his absence. Then it occurred to him that it would be even more abnormal for Sirius to be anywhere near a bookcase.

He decided not to worry, Sirius was a more than capable wizard; he could handle his own house, and started to hum a little tune. It was a catchy number by the Weird Sisters, which, ironically enough, just happened to be Tonks' favorite band.

This then, of course, brought him to thinking about Tonks herself. Sirius had mentioned that she was visiting this afternoon, and although he had been worried at the time, he was now actually quite anxious to see her.

He stepped cautiously out the shower, a smile on his face. Soon he would see that kind face, those soft eyes, that dazzling hair…

Merlin, what was the matter with him? Tonks had been badgering him for a date for weeks now and he always turned her down. Why?

Because he was mental?

_No I believe I'm quite sane, _he thought to himself.

Because he didn't love her?

_No, no that's definitely not it…_

Because he was too old, too poor, and too dangerous?

Remus sighed as this sad thought struck him. That was why he always turned her down; why it would never work. He was a poor, dangerous werewolf who had no income to speak of. He was unemployed and unpopular among most of the wizarding community. All of his old friends, with the exception of Sirius and Dumbledore, had abandoned him or were just…gone. Forever. No amount of magic could bring James and Lily back.

Remus shook his head to keep his mind from going down that path. It was much too depressing. There was no point in reminiscing about the past. He had to look towards his future.

A future involving him dying a lonely old werewolf, which wasn't much happier come to think of it.

He tried his best to clear his mind of all negative thoughts, much like he had done when he was younger, and let his imagination take charge. A new future formed in his head. A future involving him in his best dress robes, with a beautiful, pink haired young woman gliding down the aisle towards him, dressed in a beautiful white gown.

_No!_ he thought. He could not get involved with her, he just couldn't. It would kill him if she got hurt because of him.

But it was killing him now to not be with her.

Remus sighed again and gently toweled himself dry. He hung up the towel and opened his closet.

_Gray sweater vest or blue sweater vest?_ He chuckled wryly as he picked out an old gray jumper from the back of his closet.

He wanted to look his best, but unfortunately there wasn't much to choose from. After picking out a pair of worn khakis to go with the jumper, he tried to make his slowly graying hair do_ something_ instead of just flop uselessly over his eyes. With some profuse combing and a little magic, he managed to look somewhat decent. He slowly climbed down the stairs to find Sirius waiting at the bottom, grinning.

"What's going on?" Remus asked, suspicion building in his voice.

"Well Moony, my dear friend, there is something I would like to show you." Sirius said, an edge of excitement in his tone.

"And what would that be?" Remus was growing warier by the minute.

"Just come with me and you'll see" Sirius replied with a mischievous grin.

Remus was definitely worried now, but at the same time a bit curious. Knowing Sirius as well as he did, Remus assumed it would be some kind of Marauder-style prank. And considering the fact he himself was a Marauder, he tried to act as brave as possible as Sirius led him down a dingy corridor on the third floor. He stopped abruptly outside a rather average looking door.

_Who knows what's behind it though?_ Remus thought warily, expecting the worst, although his inner Marauder was just itching with excitement.

Sirius opened the door with a flourish and gestured inside. Remus slowly walked to the door and peered in. All of a sudden, before Remus even had time to think, he felt himself being shoved into the room. He heard a slam from behind him as he fell forward, arms outstretched to break his fall.

Much to his surprise, he felt not a hardwood floor, but something soft and warm and _alive. _

"Remus?"

Remus eyes widened and he could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He quickly tried to gather the brain power needed to speak.

"Tonks?"

Tonks couldn't believe it. Sirius, her lousy git of a cousin, had locked her in the broom cupboard. She tried helplessly to break out for a good 20 minutes before giving up and plopping down against the back wall.

_I'll just have to wait for someone to come and find me,_ she though with a sigh. _So I might as well get comfy._

She stretched out as well as possible for someone in a broom cupboard, and was just dozing off when she heard voices outside the door. One of them she recognized as her no-good cousin.

_Ha! He feels bad for me!_ She thought triumphantly, and waited in anticipation for the door to open. A moment later, the door flew open and Tonks saw…

No one?

_Huh? Where is he?_

Just as she started to peer around the door frame, she saw him. Remus Lupin was peering curiously in at her, and there was Sirius behind him-

_Oh shite!_

Tonks pulled back just in time to save herself from being squashed by Remus, but as he stretched out him arms to break his fall, his hand brushed over her leg, sending shivers up her spine. She could feel Remus tense and pull back in surprise.

_I'm going to bloody KILL Sirius!_ She thought angrily, having now figured out why she was locked in there to begin with. _This is all some sort of grand scheme for Sirius to play matchmaker!_ But she stopped fuming at once when she realized just how precarious her predicament really was. She was trapped in the broom cupboard of Grimmuald Place with Remus Lupin.

She almost began beating her head against the wall in frustration.

_Merlin only knows what Remus must be thinking…_

After a few more seconds of silence, Tonks took a deep breath and mustered up the courage to speak.

"Remus?"

She could hear his sharp intake of breath as he realized who he had been imprisoned with. Tonks thought that her heart was beating unnecessarily loud as she waited on edge for his response.

"Tonks?"

She breathed a sigh of relief. His tone wasn't disappointed. In fact he sounded almost excited.

_That's odd…_ She brushed it aside.

"Yeah it's me, "she said, scooting over as much as possible to give Remus some room. "Sorry to scare you like that. I wasn't expecting company."

Remus chuckled. "It's fine. It was more Sirius who gave me a fright then you, pushing me into a broom cupboard."

Tonks smiled. "Yeah. Do you have any clue why he would lock us in here?" she asked, more to find out if he knew than for her own benefit.

"I have a couple wild guesses…" he replied, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Tonks waited for him to elaborate but instead he changed the subject.

"So how long have you been in here?"

"Err…" Tonks began to count on her fingers. "About… 40 minutes I guess?"

"40 minutes!" Remus sounded appalled. "I can't believe Sirius sometimes…"

Tonks nodded in agreement, then, realizing that Remus couldn't see her, she quickly spoke up. "Yeah, he can be a bit… spontaneous at times."

"Indeed…" Remus sighed. "Well it seems that we'll be in here for a while."

"You're not even going to try and break us out?" Tonks asked, astonished that he was giving up that easy.

"I know this spell." He said, gesturing towards the door. "We, as in James, Sirius, Peter and I, created it when we were at school. It is used to bewitch a door to not open until a certain action is completed." Remus hesitated before continuing. "Sirius helps me to cast it every month on the door to the attic to make sure the werewolf-, err.. I… can't get out until I'm a man again. And, as you may have already guessed, there is no counterspell."

Tonks was shocked into silence.

_They came up with that in school?! That's really advanced magic! And to be able to cast it without a counter-spell…._

Tonks couldn't help but ask.

"No counterspell? How is that possible? I thought the only spell without a counter was the killing curse?" she said this last bit as quickly as possible.

She could hear the smile in Remus's tone as he answered.

"That bit of brilliance was James'. I'm still not entirely sure how he did it… something to do with the will of the caster… It's a tricky bit of spellwork to cast; only highly capable wizards have the skill to use it. Sirius of course included." He chuckled a bit to himself. "We often used it in bewitched versions of the muggle game spin the bottle, to make sure the two who were chosen actually kissed while they were in the cupboard."

Tonks was still confused.

"So what do we have to do to get out then?" she asked.

Remus snorted. "You mean you haven't figured it out? After all the clues I've given you?" his tone was teasing but Tonks felt rather stupid. She tried to remember all the things Remus had said.

_They had to do something specific to get out, there was no counterspell, and they used it in spin the bottle- _she stopped there as it finally hit her.

_Oh bugger…_

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**p.s. thanks to all of you who reviewed the last chapter!! i appreciate it!!**


	7. Chapter 7

**And here we have it folks!! the final chapter!!! i hope you all have enjoyed this story, for i really have enjoyed writing it :D once again, i beg that you give props to xLupinxLoverx, my lovely co-writer for these last few chapters :D ans thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far!! now, please have fun with the final chapter of Waiting, and when you're done, make sure you leave a review!!**

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Chapter 7

Tonks just stared at Remus, dumfounded.

"You can't be serious…"

"I'm afraid I am quite serious." Remus said, and Tonks thought she could hear an almost comical note to his voice, as if he found this all quite funny.

_So we have to kiss to get out huh? Bloody hell I can't even see his face in here…_ she thought hopelessly to herself. All of a sudden she remembered something, and tried to twist around to reach her pocket without whacking Remus in the process. The darkness was engulfing, and it irked her to no end. She felt up and down her jeans pockets to find what she was sure she had brought with her. But as her hands ran over the pockets, she found to her horror she was feeling something different. And as a warm hand covered hers, her worst nightmares were confirmed. She had been running her hands up and down Remus' leg.

She immediately yanked her hand away.

"Merlin, I'm sorry! I was just looking for my torch." she gushed. She could feel her cheeks getting redder by the second. She was almost glad the cupboard was deprived of light; otherwise Remus would be able to see her blushing.

"Torch?" Remus asked, amused.

"Err… It's this old muggle contraption that my Dad used to use when we couldn't magically restore the lights in our house," she explained. "I keep it on me just in case… well…"

"Just in case you happen to be magically locked in a broom cupboard by your deranged cousin." Remus said, chuckling.

"Exactly!" Tonks replied sarcastically. "I knew you'd understand!"

Remus smiled.

"Although it's not very often I get to be locked in a broom cupboard with my deranged cousin's handsome best friend." Tonks said, smiling as well.

Remus was stopped dead in his tracks.

_Did she just say I was handsome?_ _I must be dreaming…_

His heart was beating faster than ever. How do you respond to a comment like that? He decided to remain silent.

There were a few moments of hesitation before Tonks spoke up again.

"Aha!" she cried, startling Remus. "I found it!"

"Err… found what?"

Tonks rolled her eyes. "Why the torch of course!"

She felt up the long handle for the little button that made it work. When she had found it, she pushed it and a beam of white light seemed to burst from the top. It illuminated the whole cupboard, and Remus began blinking furiously at the unexpected strong force of light.

"Oh bugger, sorry!"

Tonks quickly lowered it so the light shone near the floor, casting a warm glow on their faces.

There was another moment of silence between them as they looked at each other.

Then, Tonks thought of something that made her leap to her feet, knocking Remus over and causing him to bang his head on the door. Even more unfortunately, Tonks, being the clumsy witch she was, tripped and fell backwards, landing with an "Oof!" and a muffled grunt on the unsuspecting Remus.

"Oh gods Remus, I'm so sorry!" She said, trying hopelessly to get up. Much to her surprise however, a strong pair of arms held her back.

"It's ok. Although I suppose I'll be a little worse for the wear tomorrow." He said, a small hint of humor in his tone.

Tonks was relieved he wasn't angry, but why was he still holding on to her? She was surprised at his strength. He always seemed so skinny and frail, especially today, after the full moon. And she was stunned that she, a trained auror and arm-wrestling champion of the office, couldn't break out of his grasp.

Remus chuckled as she struggled to get free.

"It's ok, just relax," He said, gently pulling her back so she was leaning against his chest. "Are you hurt at all?"

Tonks could barely form a coherent sentence. She could feel the heat of his body through her shirt, and couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like without the layers of fabric in between. She mentally slapped herself before her mind wandered any further in that direction.

"No, no, I'm fine…" She managed to stutter out.

"Good. I'm glad."

"Are you sure that I didn't hurt you though?" Tonks said, twisting around so she could see his face.

He just smiled wryly at her. "Don't worry, I've been through much worse."

Tonks' heart sunk a little. There was genuine sorrow in his eyes, and she knew in an instant he wasn't just referring to physical hurt. She had never really stopped to think about what Remus had been through. She knew he had fought in the first war, and that he had been good friends with James and Sirius and Peter in school, but there was so much more. He had been alone, and pretty much friendless for 13 years, as two of his friends were presumed to be dead, and the other was a convicted murderer. And then to find out that one of them was a traitor, and responsible for the death of James and Lily, that must have been horrible.

_But he found Sirius again,_ she thought._ And he has Harry, and Dumbledore, and the Order…_

And Tonks found herself wishing more than anything that she could be included in the list. So without really thinking, she closed the distance between them and softly touched her lips to his.

Remus seemed startled at first, but only for a second, and soon both of them had lost themselves in the kiss.

It was a spectacular kiss. Why, both of them were so caught up in the moment, that neither saw the door to the cupboard pop open. And neither of them saw a rather excited looking Sirius watching them from the hallway. In fact, it wasn't until he actually burst out laughing that either of them looked up.

"Moony 'ol chap I didn't think you had it in you!" Sirius jeered, coming over to slap his friend on the back.

Remus just shook his head. "To tell you the truth Padfoot, neither did I."

Sirius began laughing again, and Remus couldn't help but join in.

Tonks was just watching them with an incredulous look on her face.

She could not believe that she had just kissed Remus Lupin. The same Remus Lupin she had been pining over for weeks and weeks. And he was happy about it. Why, he looked estatic. Tonks had never seen him like this, and she couldn't help but think that this must have been what he was like in school; back in the Marauders' heyday. And she couldn't believe that of all people, she was the one who made him feel like that.

Remus and Sirius' laughter finally died down and they both looked over at Tonks. She was grinning like a madman and her hair was so bright it seemed to be shining, illuminating her face in neon pink light.

And right then, Remus didn't care that he was an old, poor werewolf. He didn't even care that Sirius would probably taunt him about this for the remainder of his life. All he knew was that he wasn't alone anymore. And at this very merry thought, he turned back to Sirius with a grin to rival Tonks'.

"See Sirius, _this_ is what I was waiting for."


End file.
